"I wished very much to call upon you yesterday," said he, "but it was impossible, for we were obliged to take Harry to see the wild beasts at Exeter Exchange;.." Mr John Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility

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Zoos did not exist in the Georgian age as they do today, but there were private menageries. One particular menagerie at the Exeter Exchange, Jane Austen refers to in Sense and Sensibility when Mr John Dashwood advises he could not see his sisters sooner in London because his son wanted to see the animals. Whether or not she visited the menagerie herself is unknown, but we know from this that she was certainly aware of it.

 

It was a popular tourist attraction and visited by all sections of society. Admittance was 1 shilling per person. Animals could also be seen at feeding time at 9pm for 2s.6d. Lord Byron was known to have visited the Exchange in 1813. 

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The Exchange was built in 1676, and mostly consisted of a range of shops including tailors & milliners among others. In 1773 as an investment, Thomas Clark, a cutler, purchased the upper rooms at the Exchange and established the menagerie, which included lions, tigers, monkeys, hyenas, hippopotamus, rhino, ostrich and other exotic species.

 

In 1793 Gilbert Pidcock bought the menagerie, and it later passed into the hands of Stephani Polito after Pidcock's death around 1810. Both men ran travelling circuses, so they tended to use the menagerie as storage for their animals in the winter.  Animal rights were not what they are today and the species were kept confined in very small cages in small rooms. It is said that the roaring of the big cats could be heard on the street, which frightened passing horses. 

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The barbaric treatment of the animals became apparent in 1826 after the death of Chunee the Indian elephant, one of the star attractions. Chunee had been used for circus performances for three years before retiring to the Exchange in 1812. As he became older, he became increasingly agitated at his enclosed existence and began to try and break his wood and iron cage. 

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The owner and keeper, Mr Cross, tried to poison Chunee, but when this failed, he resorted to gunfire. After 30 bullets Chunee was still alive and had smashed his cage open. Soldiers were called for assistance, firing more bullets, and Mr Cross killed Chunee with his sabre after 90 minutes. A very sad end for an animal who just wanted to be free from his caged lonely existence. 

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There is a drawing of the demise of Chunee but I have not included it here as it's quite distressing. Following the event, the newspapers did report the event, but sided with Mr Cross over the loss of a valuable asset rather than the suffering of Chunee. Although animal cruelty still exists, it's good to know that there are more people in the world now fighting for animal rights. The popularity of the menagerie rapidly declined after Chunee's death and was demolished around 1829.